Losing data is a frustrating experience, but it is possible to recover deleted text messages on android devices. To the relief of many, the data recovery process does not require any great technical knowledge. Read on to learn more about a few simple steps android users can take to access their lost or deleted data.
Take Action As Soon As Possible
The amount of data both received and stored on an android device affects the chances of recovery. It is therefore important to make every effort to avoid changes to the data after the loss is realized. This applies to halting the sending and receiving of text messages as well as to other activities like making calls and using apps.
The more functions the device must process or handle, the more likely the android is to have an overwritten memory. On the flip side, fewer functions benefit data recovery in two ways. Less data keeps the memory – where deleted messages are housed – intact. The increase in processing speed allows the device to sort through the data and recover any text messages in the memory more quickly.
Sync or SIM
If no device-to-computer syncs have occurred since the deletion took place, it is possible to locate the text messages on the computer. The deleted messages are likely housed in an original messages app or a deleted folder. Accessing messages via the deleted folder is discussed along with Android Bug.
By default, android devices are not set to store text messages on the SIM card. However, it is possible that setting changes made at the time of purchase or sometime after have recorded the messages on the SIM card in addition to the device memory. Because of the ease of recovery, it is worth checking the SIM card for this information.
Prior to the 2.2 update, android devices saved a folder of all deleted text messages. This accidental back up was known as the Android Bug. Though this will not work for users who have updated their devices past the 2.2 update, it is a possible recovery avenue.
To access the deleted folder, first find the person who sent or received the deleted message from the contact list. Scroll to the right to view a list of messages. Devices with the android bug intact will display the deleted messages. Users need simply copy those messages back over to their device.
For more recently updated devices, a user can try recovering deleted messages by having a message recipient reply to the last message sent in a thread. This option reflects the importance of taking action as soon as possible after messages are accidentally deleted. Oftentimes, if the message recipient replies to the last message in a thread, the reply comes in and restores the conversation on the device from which it was lost.
Though each of these methods has limitations, they are worth a shot when data recovery is in question. Following these steps makes it possible to recover deleted text messages on android.